I’ve been researching the same thing for my vehicle (2008 2.4 110) for a very long time now. And getting a straight answer from these ‘chip’ companies can be a bit tricky. I spoken to a few of the guys from the forum, on and offline and it seems to be a 50/50 sort of thing (my opinion only). Some blokes reckon it’s the best thing since sliced bread, others say don’t mess with the vehicle because the repercussions are not worth the risk. I know there’s the ‘re-flashing of the ECM’ that many guys swear by, I don’t doubt them for a minute.
I’ll shear a reply I received from ‘tunit’. Which to date is the best reply from any vendor that I have been in contact with.
Your Defender uses a V-CR Denso 2 system and costs $1280 incl GST, this Tunit is about the size of a mobile phone, with a 15pin plug on one end and an access panel on the other.
This particular Tunit comes complete with a detachable harness that has original manufacturers Denso plugs matching the ones on your engine. Installation is simply a case of fitting the two plugs on the Tunit harness to two plugs on your engine. With the Tunit there is no need for dismantling or going inside your ECU.
Installation can be carried out either by yourself as full installation instructions are supplied or by a dealer.
Defender figures: 91kW to approx 110kW and your torque from 359Nm to approx 415Nm
As well as improved torque throughout the RPM range, the torque is also increased lower down where it is needed, giving better acceleration, throttle response and more pulling power.
One of the unique features of the Tunit is it's adjustability. The Tunit has ten different settings. By prising off the rear access panel, you can adjust the Tunit manually. The Tunit is pre-programmed for your individual vehicle, however each car can be different in output and characteristics and for this reason you can choose between the settings to suit your vehicle. This setting can also be altered if you were to further modify your vehicle with performance filters, turbo's or intercoolers etc, you will probably find with your exhaust that this can be turned up a bit.
If you wish to carry out extra modifications to your vehicle or if you have special requirements then we and our distributors can re-program you unit to suit. This is generally carried out after first installation.
As a result of tuning most people tend to gain 7-10% better fuel economy. This can vary from vehicle to vehicle and depends on application/driver but is generally the case.
I have no affiliations with ‘tunit’ just sharing the information.
What I have learnt is the exhaust gas temperatures must be taken into consideration with any modification with any of the Defender diesel engines, old or new.
I did look into a supercharger, but seeing as the inlet manifold would have to be fabricated, one off job. I let that idea slide. I don’t want to sacrifice reliability for performance.
I’m leaning towards a chip, exhaust, intercooler combo. I’ve had correspondence with ‘Roo Systems’. Very willing people and their product looks good for the Japanese 4x4 manufactures market, but to date no data or performance figures for the Defender.
Twisted performance in the UK make some astronomical performance claims, but I fear the stress would be too much for the poor old Puma engine.
Intercoolers? In a word. Expensive. Again no performance figures for anybody I have contacted. The principle is sound, but to handover all that money on someone’s else’s say so??? It’s a lot of money to spend on a leap of faith.
In the end, there is no ‘magic bullet’. We all have to make our own decisions on the information we have at our disposal, the availability of the products and affordability. One guy from the Forum told me that the overseas unit where setup for overseas conditions (makes sense). That unless the unit can be adjusted by the end user, he advised against this type of unit. I think that’s worth taking in to consideration.
Cheers
Craig
